NSF-REU programs: How undergraduate student research in aquatic ecology can survive in a 'stonefly eat mayfly' world

Competition for shrinking government funding sources between small liberal arts colleges and universities (the mayflies) and large, research-oriented institutions (the stoneflies) has become a David v. Goliath-esque struggle. One approach to slay the proverbial ‘stonefly giants' and fund aquatic ecology-based research programs is to pursue National Science Foundation-Research Experience for Undergraduate grants specifically designed to provide minority and underrepresented populations such a research opportunity. Summer aquatic research experiences at small universities can become an important educational resource as well as critical training ground for young aquatic ecologists. Our NSF-REU Program offers an 8-week summer program in aquatic sciences focused specifically on watershed ecology. With the assistance of faculty from Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Geography, Industrial Technology, and Education Foundations departments, our program is designed to capitalize on an interdisciplinary approach to study watershed ecology. Student projects are on-going studies dealing with macroinvertebrate community structure in forested v. sediment-compromised streams, nutrient dynamics in headwater systems, riparian vegetation surveys and Butterfly Ray taxonomy in the Chesapeake Bay. Our REU program has provided unique research opportunities for many minority and underrepresented students, allowed them to present their findings at national meetings such as NABS, and given them a ‘leg-up' in applying to graduate programs throughout the country.